Axed Labor candidate accuses party of abandoning socialists

Faiza Shaheen has been banned from standing as a Labor Party candidate in the Chingford and Woodford Green constituency. Photo: LUCY YOUNG/EVENING STANDARD/EYEVINE

The Labor candidate, who is banned from standing in the election, has accused the party of abandoning the socialists because it is so far ahead. surveys. 

Faiza Shaheen, known as the «Chingford Corbynite», said Labor was targeting leftists and anti-imperialists who wanted to speak out on Palestine and could not be controlled by the party machine.

Ms Shaheen, an academic who was preparing to take on Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former leader of the Conservative Party, in north London, has hired a lawyer and is on Wednesday seeking to challenge her expulsion with the help of Labour's ruling National Executive (NEC) panel.

She asked her supporters to write to Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labor Party, and David Evans, the party's general secretary, and urge them to let her stand.

She is also believed to have spoken out about her case. Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the Labor Party, who on Thursday called for Diane Abbott to be allowed to stand as the Labor candidate in a direct challenge to Sir Keir.

Faiza Shaheen is known as «Chingford Corbynite». and said the Labor Party was persecuting leftists who spoke out about Palestine. Photo: Tolga Akmen/AFP

The Labor Party leader has denied there was a purge of the left, but Ms Shaheen told Channel 4 News there were rumors that the decision to ban her had already been made before she was offered the chance to respond to the allegations.

G- Ms. Shaheen said: “They were already looking for a candidate for this seat last week, and that tells me everything. 

«What's happened is that the Labor Party is so far ahead in the polls that they think they can take a chance on seats like this and replace people like me.»

She added that they are aimed at «people like me who, let's face it, are on the left flank of the party, socialists, anti-imperialists, who want to speak out about Palestine, who they see as something they can't control, and replace me with someone who doesn't have it all.»

«The Labor Party has a problem with black and brown people»

Ms Shaheen allegedly liked a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) that downplayed the allegations in anti-Semitism. On Thursday she said Sir Keir's party had a «problem with black and brown people».

She said: “I have come to the inevitable conclusion that the Labor Party is far from being a broad, inclusive church. , has an ingrained culture of bullying, a palpable problem with black and brown people, and cares nothing about tarnishing a person's good name in pursuit of a factional agenda with no thought to the impact on the mental health and well-being of loyal members.»

She said she did not remember liking one of the social media posts in question and added that she felt «stupid» after being told she could not stand.

Sir Keir denies , which carries out cleaning. left of the party, saying: «Over the last two years, as we have chosen our candidates, I have said repeatedly that I want candidates of the highest quality.»

The Labor Party has been contacted for comment.